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Nerd #2

Romancing the Nerd

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Dan Garrett has become exactly what he hates—popular. Until recently, he was just another live-action role-playing nerd on the lowest rung of the social ladder. Cue a massive growth spurt and an uncanny skill at taking three-point shots in basketball and voilà...Mr. Popular. It's definitely weird.

And the biggest drawback? Going from high school zero to basketball hero cost Dan the secret girl of his dorky dreams.

A band geek with an eclectic fashion sense, Zelda Potts's “coolness” stat is about minus forty-two. Dan turning his back on her and the rest of nerd-dom was brutal enough, but when he humiliates her at school, Zelda decides it's time for a little revenge—dork style. Never mind that she used to have a crush on him. Never mind that her plan could backfire big time.

It's time to roll the dice...and hope like freakin' hell she doesn't lose her heart in the process.

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 5, 2016

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About the author

Leah Rae Miller

2 books330 followers
Mother, wife, and YA author living on a windy hill in Natchitoches, Louisiana. I love fuzzy socks, comic books, cherry coke, and brand new office supplies. THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD coming Summer 2013 from Entangled Teen. Stay cool! Contact me at leahraewrites(at)gmail(dot)com

For questions about ARCs, blog tours, interviews, etc. please contact my publicist, Heather Riccio heatherriccio (at) entangledpublishing (dot) com

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5 stars
257 (23%)
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388 (35%)
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339 (30%)
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86 (7%)
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29 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
Profile Image for Stacee.
2,905 reviews751 followers
March 12, 2016
I'm a sucker for anything nerd related, so I was quite excited to read this one.

I loved Zelda and Dan. Their history was amusing and I loved how they constantly pushed each other's buttons. Seeing Maddie and Logan again was fun, but there was one scene with Vera {Logan's little sister} that absolutely made the entire story.

A little predictable and a lot fun, this was a quick and cute read. I'll definitely be coming back to it for a reread.

**Huge thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
Profile Image for Deniz.
1,197 reviews98 followers
March 15, 2016
Let's face it: I am geek. I closet one- but yeah well I totally am.
But Miller made me wonder if I need to get my nerd on...
Seriously the LRP, the dress-up stuff. The first time ever I got why people do this, more even I thought I could enjoy it
And that's just one aspect why I thoroughly enjoyed Romancing The Nerd. This is cute&fluffy with a good helping of nerd- but actually it's also kind of more.
Because we get to explore the whole popular thing with Zelda, and more so though, we get reminded that people aren't black and white. Just because someone likes LRP doesn't mean they can't be interested in sports as well...
Zelda's journey and character growths was amazing. I found her extremely opinionated and while I loved her sass and her POV- that particular part was annoying. I kept thinking she is like an old stuck-up woman when it comes to her views of people!
In fact it is amazing how Dan comes across as the opposite in the beginning but is actually just like Zelda. Both of them discover that there is more to a person that meets the eye...

I loved the romance, it's super cute, it's geeky/nerdy and just swoon-worthy. On that alone I can only recommend this one.
Add to that the great humor. And you got an awesome book.

While I enjoyed the fun & cute story line. This novel shines with character building. While we start off, with a clear picture on who is who- I kinda thought in fact, we going to have the normal YA cute&fluffy high school cast- Miller gave all characters layers and depths as the story went on.
It was nice to revisit Maddie and Logan from The Summer I Became A Nerd as well. I am really glad I read that novel, even if this one totally works as a standalone- I felt like seeing old friends and I got their connection. It was cool to see them from Zelda and Dan's POV as well.

It's a cute, swoony spring read for all nerds and non-nerds alike!
Profile Image for nick (the infinite limits of love).
2,120 reviews1,535 followers
April 11, 2016

This was a cute read! I was looking forward to reading Romancing the Nerd after having enjoyed the first book, The Summer I Became a Nerd. Dan and Zelda were both pretty fabulous characters and I thought it was great getting to know them personally. The two of them were friends years ago until Dan was forced into a life of sports and popularity, something he wasn’t a huge fan of. Out of the two, I definitely preferred Dan. His character just spoke to me. Despite being this popular guy, he was still a cute nerd at heart and wanted nothing more than to be himself. I love how he wooed Zelda and how he went to lengths to prove to her that they belonged together. Zelda, I wasn’t initially sure of because of her revenge plan that involved basically catfishing, Dan. But she grew on me as her attachment to Dan grew stronger with every message. There’s a lot of nerdiness going on in Romancing the Nerd and I thought it was adorable! I liked Dan and Zelda together a lot, but I have to be honest and admit that I wanted to see more of them as a couple, which didn’t happen until the very end. I felt like the book was a bit low on the romance part of it, which was disappointing. Overall though, it was a cute book and I enjoyed myself while reading it!
Profile Image for Alexa.
484 reviews128 followers
April 6, 2016
Not as good as the last one but still enjoyable.

Dan is a wonderful character, particularly because you can see that he's not perfect; he's prideful and stubborn and he's always saying whatever pops into his head without thinking first.

Zelda was okay... I tend to be wary of manic pixie dream girls because they're so overused on movies, books and TV shows. However I thought it worked for Zelda because it was not exaggerated.

My only problem with the book was the plot... Zelda and Dan have had a pretty bad (and nonexistent) relationship since he started to get popular, and Zelda "hates" him so she hatches a convoluted, over complicated plan to expose him as a terrible person.

I mean, seriously, the title of this book should be: "Two kids with too much pride refuse to talk to each other about their obvious feelings."

I still LOVED the geeky side of the book, I mean THERE IS LARP IN THIS BOOK! (I'm still absurdly happy about that) And it's obvious that either the author has very set opinions on pop culture or she did her research well. So super recommended for fans of comics, RPGs, LARP and other assorted awesome geek stuff.
Profile Image for Glire.
766 reviews614 followers
May 29, 2016
"Romancing the Nerd" aka "Como destruir tu visión de un autor en un paso".

Cuando Leah Rae debutó con The Summer I Became a Nerd , tuve un crush inmediato. Era ingenioso, divertido y nerd sin verse forzado ni dejar de ser fresco.

Todo eso se pierde en esta segunda entrega, tenemos: escritura mediocre, personajes huecos, plot débil, amistades superficiales, un romance flojo y, lo peor, referencias a la cultura nerd utilizadas como relleno para cumplir con el titulo del libro sin que aporten nada a la trama.

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Profile Image for Irene.
1,892 reviews128 followers
April 4, 2016
4 stars

Romancing the Nerd was sweet, fun and very entertaining read.
I loved both Dan and Zelda, they made me laugh with their antics & geekiness.

This was a lovely afternoon's read that will make you smile and forget about real life for a few hours.

Thank you Entangled Teen via NetGalley for the advance copy.
Profile Image for Lekeisha The Booknerd.
945 reviews122 followers
April 6, 2016
Full review posted over at Lekeisha The Booknerd

I had been looking forward to this book ever since I knew of it’s existence. The Summer I Became A Nerd was one of my favorite books of 2013, so I had to read this companion. I love the LARP fun, but I really enjoy the characters themselves more. Dan and Zelda are no Logan and Maddie, but I liked their story. I wish there was more time spent on the romance, but overall it’s a good story. If you have read the first book, then you know Miller has some role playing and other shenanigans going on here. This is a cute, fun read.
Profile Image for Melissa.
809 reviews149 followers
January 30, 2016
I loved this book so much. Dan's fumbling of common expressions cracked me up, and Zelda's antics to get revenge against him were priceless. Totes cute book filled with geektastic references, a whole, new geek culture, and plenty of swoony moments. (Also, I may now want to dress in Zelda as Finity Girl cosplay or take up LARPing for the first time in my life.)
Profile Image for K.K. Summer.
Author 10 books73 followers
January 10, 2017
Wow, that was such a sweet book!! I loved all the geekyness and the great characters and the plot! I flew through the pages and I can only recommend this book to anyone who loved "the summer I became a nerd"!
I love her writing style and I sure hope, that she will write other novels like these!
Profile Image for Brittany (Brittinbookland).
537 reviews37 followers
June 9, 2017
This book is: Catfish meets, Pretty in Pink, meets the world of fandom. It was typical YA. Cute and funny. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say I loved the geekdom! Great, light, quick read.
Profile Image for Miranda.
760 reviews107 followers
April 4, 2016
I am a nerd at heart, so I love reading books with nerdy characters. This book was a great romance for nerds, and I had such a fun time reading this book!



The plot was slow at times and a little predictable, but I thought this book was still entertaining. I really loved the banter between Zelda and Dan. It was hilarious, nerdy, and cute. Zelda and Dan made the perfect nerd couple! I will say that I didn't see the connection between them at first, but it definitely grew on me. I was shipping them so hard by the end of this book!

I liked Zelda a lot. I thought she was funny, strong, and loyal. She was a bit too brass at times for me, but I still liked her as a whole. Dan was swoon worthy and adorably nerdy. He was a bite dense at times, but I was able to overlook that.

I liked the wide variety of side characters. I thought they were all funny and unique. They added a lot of depth to the story.

The nerd references throughout this book were great! I was laughing out loud at some of the nerdy jokes. It was hilarious and so relatable. The author was great at showcasing how awesome nerds are.

I would recommend this book to everyone who is looking for a romance about two adorable nerds.



4 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for a honest review. *

MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
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Profile Image for Heidi.
1,395 reviews162 followers
April 4, 2016
Three stars: An adorkable romance that is light and fun, but it lacked a bit in the romance.

Zelda Potts is sick and tired of Dan Garrett strutting around like Mr. Popular. He used to be her best friend, and a nerd who liked to participate in live action role playing games. Now Dan is all about basketball and hanging with the popular kids. It still irks Zelda that he ditched her to go to a party, and she overheard him saying unkind things about her. The final straw comes when he hits her with a basketball. Zelda vows to get revenge. She creates a fake online identity and begins chatting with him. Dan quickly finds himself falling for this smart, nerdy online girl, having no idea it is really Zelda. Neither are prepared for the consequences. Will Dan and Zelda find love or a heartache?

What I Liked:
*Romancing the Nerd is a cute, nerdy romance with fun characters and positive messages on popularity, being true to oneself and bullying. It is perfect for young teens or anyone who wants to read a simple romance.
*The story centers around Dan and Zelda, and is told with both their points of view. I am always a fan of the switching narrative when it comes to romance as I love getting inside each character's head. Zelda is easy to like as she is a nerd, a girl who plays the tuba, loves comics and participates in role playing games. Even though she is a nerd, Zelda, if for the most part, is comfortable in her own skin, and she doesn't hesitate to flaunt her own unique style. When she is bullied or made fun of, she handles it with humor and she does her best to smile. Dan, a former nerd, who became popular when he landed a spot on the basketball team, is struggling with his new identity. He doesn't exactly get along with the cool kids, and he hates the restrictions his father has placed on him. Both Dan and Zelda long for the simpler and easier days when they had an easy going friendship, but neither will admit it. I liked watching both of these characters grow and change and overcome their hurdles.
*The book touches upon many themes that are relevant to high school kids, and I liked the positive messages the author conveyed. This book tackles bullying, and I appreciated how it was handled. I also liked the discussion on popularity and fitting in as well as being true to oneself. All in all, this book was uplifting and upbeat.
*Dan and his dad have a conflicted relationship, and I liked they way it all played out. I was happy that their was a strong focus on family throughout.
The romance was sweet and cute, even though it took the whole book to build. I liked that it was based upon a long time friendship, and that there were many obstacles to overcome. It is a slow burner, but worth the wait.
*For all of you who love nerdiness, there is a lot to geek out over in this one. It has live action role playing, comics, lengthy discussions on super heroes and what to do in the event of the zombie apocalypse. Some of the conversations made me giggle.
*This is the companion novel to The Summer I Became A Nerd, which you don't have to read before going into this one, but I found that it was fun to catch up with Maddie and Logan.
*This is a nice, sweet, clean romance appropriate for readers of all ages.
*The ending brings the story to a close without any nagging questions or a cliffhanger. A nice stand alone.
And The Not So Much:
*Perhaps I have grown more cynical and critical since I read the first book, but for whatever reason, I thought the romance was lacking a bit. I kept waiting and waiting for the sweet, happy moments where I could just soak in the goodness, but it really doesn't happen. In fact, when the book gets to the big moment, it moves quickly and then it jumps ahead two months into the future, not giving the reader much time to savor the sweetness. I wish that more time was spent with the couple together.
*The book features this whole revenge plot, and I am not sure why as nothing ever really comes of it. Not that I need revenge, but the whole idea never came to fruition, so it was kind of pointless.
*I am not a fan of live role playing games, and I am clueless when it comes to LARP, so I was a bit lost during all the scenes about LARP. If you are a fan of LARP, I am sure you will love all the nerdiness, but if you are like me, you might get a little lost during all the discussions of power, experience points and so forth.

Romancing the Nerd is a cute, nerdy romance for fans of all ages. I enjoyed the story and the characters as well as the positivity of the book. My only hesitation was I wish there was more romance and swoon worthy moments. Still this is light and fluffy perfect for when you need an easy breezy read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.


Profile Image for Lisa (lifeinlit).
703 reviews553 followers
April 5, 2016
3.5 stars!

I adore stories with nerdy characters because, let’s face it, I can be a little nerdy myself. And though I don’t play video games or LARP, I can understand being passionate about something so strongly. I totally fell for Miller’s ability to write such fun, adorkable characters while reading The Summer I Became a Nerd a few years ago, so when I saw book two was on its way, let’s just say I was pretty excited. We first met Dan in book one… and though I honestly don’t recall many specifics from that book (since it was a few years ago), I was pretty excited to hear he was getting his own story.

Dan and Zelda were pretty adorable. I can’t really say I enjoyed their “romance”, since we didn’t get to see them together much. Despite that, this story is very cute and fun, and it kept me entertained. I have to say though, overall as a YA book, this definitely read like much more of a younger book at times. And as with book one, Miller’s humor shines through in her writing. There were so many scenes in this story that had me giggling, which always wins major points with me. If you can make me laugh with your witty remarks and silly banter, I’m sold!

Overall, I’m delighted with how cute this story turned out. I definitely would have liked to see Dan and Zelda together a bit more, since their romance wasn’t exactly shown much in this story. But the chase was pretty fun, and I enjoyed this group of characters quite a bit. Another cute, adorkable addition to the Nerd series! If you enjoyed The Summer I Became a Nerd, you’ll definitely want to check out this one!

(Thanks to Entangled: Teen for the review copy!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

lostinlit


Profile Image for Inah (Fueled By Chapters).
484 reviews117 followers
September 22, 2016
It’s actually my first time to read a novel from Leah Rae Miller but I’ve been told that she writes really cute and funny romances and I wasn’t disappointed! This book is just the right one I’m looking for.

This is about Dan and Zelda, who used to be close friends, until Dan became popular. After an accident, which humiliated Zelda, she planned on taking a little revenge on him.

People who have read The Summer I Became A Nerd would have already met Dan and Zelda, but since I haven’t read it, I have no idea about their character backgrounds. Anyhow, I still found them very interesting, not to mention they’re both dorks which I definitely adore!

The plot may seem a little predictable but it didn’t take away the thrill of reading the story. It’s a treat to see the relationship between Dan and Zelda unfold and grow. Their banters are amusing and sweet. The depiction of friendships between them and the other characters is really great and strong.

Overall, it’s a sweet read, perfect for those in need of a cute romance with funny banters and strong friendship bonds. I definitely recommend this book!
Profile Image for Kassiah.
803 reviews84 followers
Want to read
April 5, 2016
Here's the summary:

Revenge of the Nerds meets You've Got Mail!

It's been two years since Dan Garret brought Logan Scott and Maddie Summers together. Or at least, that's how he looks at it. Since then, he's gone through a growth spurt that left him as tall and strapping as his father. Joining the basketball team not only makes him miss his beloved LARP games—it's turned him into the one thing he hates most: popular. He's also lost Zelda Potts, which is full of all kinds of suck since he can't seem to ditch the crush he's had on her for, oh, ever.

Being a smart, tuba-playing junior with a "unique" fashion sense, popularity is not in the cards for Zelda. And she wouldn't have it any other way. Look what popularity did to her ex-friend Dan. When the hypocritical jerk epically embarrasses her in front of a gym full of people, she hatches a plan for revenge…but things don't work out the way she hoped. Instead she starts to see Dan in a different light. And that little crush she had on him back when they were friends? It's back.

Can't wait!!
Profile Image for Christina.
609 reviews74 followers
March 19, 2016
My original review of this title can be found here on The Book Hookup.

**Disclaimer:** An eARC of these title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.

Quick Thoughts and Rating: 4 stars! Romancing the Nerd was a perfect companion novel to The Summer I Became a Nerd where we first met Dan. This novel was delightful in all its geek glory, and while parts of it were a tad on the predictable side, it was still so much fun! Ms. Miller gets adorkable just right every single time.

The Lowdown: Our beloved Dan The Man got hit with the puberty stick pretty hard. He’s shot up quite a few inches, slimmed down, muscled up, and taken up basketball to make his dad happy. All that new Dan thrusts him straight into popularity and along the way to pool parties and fluttering lashes from the cheerleaders, he thinks he might have lost his chance at one of the coolest uncool girl he’s ever known, Zelda.

Zelda is a fangirl and all-around nerd, proud of it too. Back in the day, she used to think she had a thing for her then best friend, Dan, until he kissed it all away with popularity and became the biggest jerk ever. But that’s alright, Zelda is smart, and she’s hatched a plan to get back at Dan and to uncover truth of how popularity changes people.

Only, in this plan to discover the truth and learn about the “new Dan,” Zelda quickly discovers that perhaps she was quick with her own assumptions and maybe Dan isn’t so bad after all. In fact, maybe Zelda has fallen for him all over again.


Review: This novel was just really damn cute! I loved getting to see some of the characters from The Summer I Became a Nerd, but even in my review for that, I expressed my great hope for getting Dan’s story. Part of me was a little sad that in Dan’s great tale of awesome, he had to grow up and become super popular to get his story, but in the end, I think I found that it worked for him in some weird way. Even still, I feel like all the amazingly nerd-core parts of him that I absolutely adored and made me fall in love with his character in the original book were only sprinkled sparingly throughout in this book. I missed those parts of him and got really giddy when he rebelled from his dad and let his geek flag fly. Now, for the object of his nerd affection: I really loved Zelda. She was funny and smart, a total klutz (something I can empathize with), and she’s a super fangirl after my own heart. As this is told in dual POV, I feel like we really get in the heads of both characters. They had great “voices” and I appreciated the character growth each character underwent during the course of this book.

I can’t say it enough: this novel was cute cute cute! There is more LARP-ing, plenty of nerdtastic pop culture references, and a few hardcore geek swoons. My little nerd girl heart squee’ed and flailed on many parts, to be honest. Well, that is when I wasn’t snorting or choking back my laughter.

Teaser Quote: He may have quoted Shakespeare to her, and in context of that particular moment, it was perfect.

He smiles and offers me his arm. When I take it, he whispers, “Hear my soul speak. Of the very instant that I saw you, did my heart fly at your service.”
~quote taken from the eARC of Romancing the Nerd at 98%


Rec It? Yes! If you loved The Summer I Became the Nerd then you’ll definitely want to check out this one. It was all sorts of adorkable awesomeness. Ms. Miller knows how to make my geek girl heart glow, and if she’s writing more stories, I’ll definitely be reading them.

A very special thanks to Entangled: Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for JennRenee.
394 reviews89 followers
May 22, 2016

I totally enjoyed The Summer I Became and Nerd, and was so excited to see another one was coming out. I am sure most of us readers and bloggers of books are nerds. I am a super nerd and the the first book really hit home for me. So I just grabbed at the idea to read another one. It was so good. I loved it. I enjoyed it just as much maybe more than the first one. It for sure did not disappoint.


Dan is a nerd that has turned popular. All by accident and he doesn't know for sure if he fully enjoys it. The one thing he does know is that the girl of his dreams is not popular but a nerd form his former circle. The problem lies with in is that she hates his guts. For reasons he is not quite sure of but she doesn't want to give him the time of day.

Zelda is the girl of Dan's dreams but since he left her behind and she feels dumped since he became popular she does nothing but gives him grief. Well she has a plan to really mess with him good. The problem that lies within... she never expected to fall for him. Now she has no idea what to do. She fears his hatred of her and realizes all this time she has been wrong about Dan. Now she has to fix it all to get the boy of her dreams.


I just adored this book. It was just as cute as the first one. A super easy and fun read. Perfect for the summer read list. Just pop it in your beach bag and enjoy it by the pool or beach. This book was cute and fun but also filled with self discovery, acceptance, and forgiveness. I love the mixture of light and fluffy with a bit of depth. I am not usually much on contemporary romances but this author just knows how to get me.

Zelda is a pretty cool character. In some ways I loved her. She was independent, not afraid to be herself, outspoken, and takes matters into her own hands. But... yes there is a but.... But.... she is also a bit superficial. She is a once chance kind of girl when she gets hurt and she judges hard. So I loved her but I didn't. She was real and flawed and in the end she won me over.

Dan is just the best. I adored him with every bit of my heart and soul. He was in the popular crowd by accident. He went for nerd who larped to basketball star.. all because of a growth spurt and natural talent. He doesn't mind being popular but doesn't really enjoy it either. He has mixed feelings about it. The hardest thing for him has been Zelda. She was his best friend and he has been in love with her for a while.But .... she is super nerd and he tried to incorporate her into his new life at school but it never worked. Not to mention is bugger of a dad made him drop all things not basketball. So he couldn't hang out with her any more.

The romance is cute. Dan already knew what he wanted but Zelda didn't and she had to have a lesson in her own heart matters. It was sweet and slow and how it came about was just fun and real. It was perfect in my book.

The family matters worked in this book too. Zelda had a wonderful home unit and was taken care of and loved. Dan had it a bit harder because his dad was so hard on him. This book addressed both sides and even though Dan's dad was a bit of a jerk, it was handled well and worked out in the end.

The nerd talk was just so super delicious for me. Not sure if that is the word to use but I am a big time nerd and geek and don't hid it . I love to role play, I love to dress up. I have never larped but would love to try. I love graphic novels, superheroes, and all stuff in between. So this really hit home for me. I so loved it.

So this book had it all for me. Romance, family drama, friendship, nerd talk, fun, and just all out goodness.





Just my kind of book. Perfect summer, easy, breezy romance read.
Profile Image for Alison.
3,493 reviews137 followers
July 2, 2016
Three and a half stars.

I have no idea why I got this book - I thought someone had reviewed it on GR but "none of my friends have reviewed this book" so maybe it was on Heroes and Heartbreakers. Anyway, what happens when a nerd suddenly has a growth spurt and becomes a popular jock? It was an intriguing premise which is why I picked this book up.

Dan Garrett is the nerd in question, the trouble is he doesn't really like his new life and popularity. He would much prefer LARPing (Live Action Role-Play) with his other friends or reading comics than hanging with cheerleaders and the basketball team. Worst of all, since he became popular the girl he has a crush on won't speak to him, in fact she hates him.

Zelda Potts has bright red hair, freckles, plays the tuba in the marching band, ,is extraordinarily clumsy and has an eclectic fashion sense. She is also Dan's ideal girl. Unfortunately Zelda overheard her so-called best friend Dan say something derogatory about her to one of the biggest jerks on the basketball team, since then there have been a series of events where Dan has variously forgotten her name, hit her on the head with a basketball and ignored her. So she thinks he's a jerk.

This novel is definitely in the Young Adult category. There are Doctor Who references, comic references, lots of LARPing, LoTR references, Star Wars references, Harry Potter references lots of instant messaging late at night and other PG fun. Zelda's plan to get revenge on Dan is also something that only a young teenager could dream up (or expect to work). But if you don't mind that, this is a fun read - maybe Pride and Prejudice for the LARPing generation?

Zelda's plan is to create a fake online personality, befriend Dan and then get him to spill his secrets and/or be nasty about other people so that she can expose him. The first problem with that plan is that Dan is a thoroughly nice boy and tries very hard not to be mean to anyone, even if he doesn't like them very much. As they chat online Zelda and Dan like to express lofty sentiments and use big words, for example:

I am debating between, “How is your day going?” or “Today’s public schooling system boggles my mind. Why are we studying tomes that are so ancient? Does Of Mice and Men really teach us something that we can’t learn by reading something more contemporary and relatable? In fact, I’m almost positive I read a Star Trek novel that tackled some of the same ideas as OMaM.”


Sometimes it feels pretentious, which I guess it's supposed to, but mostly its charming.

I am WAY over the target demographic but this was a fun read.
Profile Image for Poulami.
361 reviews38 followers
March 25, 2016
Originally posted on Daydreaming Books.

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I had pretty high expectations for this book and I have been wanting to read it since I saw it on Goodreads. Although I enjoyed the ride but it was a bit of a disappointment as well as it didn't live upto my expectations.

Dan used to be a nerd but after his growth spurt and his skills to play basketball, upped him into the popular crowd but he regrets all of it, especially because he thinks he has lost the one dorky girl he likes i.e. Zelda. Zelda used to have a crush on Dan, she feels betrayed after a certain incident and she finally decides it's time for a little revenge. But how can her plan be successful when she finds herself falling for Dan all over again?

I love this kind of storyline, it's one of my absolute favourites. But I felt one major factor was missing due to which I couldn't enjoy this book entirely. Dan used to be a high school nerd but now he's Mr. Popular and he doesn’t participate in the usual activities, like LARP-ing as he used to do. Zelda feels that the Dan has completely changed but little did she know the reason behind it. I was pretty exited about the revenge plot and it was indeed filled with geekiness which I absolutely loved. But I wanted to see the actual romance between Dan and Zelda which we rarely got to see, so that was a major setback for me.

I pretty much liked all the characters. Zelda is a no nonsense kind of girl and proud of being a geek. I understood where Dan was coming from and why he took himself out of the stuff he actually liked doing and I absolutely loved it when he stood up for himself and how he handled the situation. We get to see the characters from the previous book as well, although I haven't read it but I liked them nonetheless. Dan's sister was pretty much awsome!

Overall, Romancing the Nerd was a good read. Although the plot was clichéd, I liked how it flowed out but I really would have liked this book more if it had some actual romance in it. I think it kinds of defeats the purpose of the title. Nonetheless, the writing was smooth and easy to read and the pace was even throughout the book. I easily finished this book in a few sittings.

Recommend it?

Yes.
Profile Image for Jaime Arkin.
1,444 reviews1,369 followers
May 22, 2016
Dan Garrett used to be a part of the nerdy crowd, spending his free time LARP’ing and reading comic books, but these days, after a growth spurt and a budding talent for basketball he’s become Mr. Popular.

Zelda Potts is certainly never going to be part of the cool crowd. She has a crazy sense of fashion and plays the tuba. It was bad enough that Dan turned his back on her and her friends, but then he goes and humiliates her in front of everyone. So now she’s bound on getting her revenge.

I loved loved The Summer I Became a Nerd so to say I was anticipating Romancing the Nerd would probably be a huge understatement.

I adore books about nerdy kids. I don’t know what it is… maybe that I can relate to them so well? Maybe, but whatever it is I can’t get enough, and this one was super cute for sure.
My biggest complaint was that this seemed to skew a bit younger than I was expecting. I feel like the writing and story-telling was a bit younger than I normally enjoy so that was probably the only thing that really didn’t work as well for me.

Additionally, I would have liked to see more of these two crazy kids together! We only get a tiny bit of them as a couple and that was a bit frustrating. They had such great banter and were so fun, that it would have been nice to get more of that!

If you’re looking for a cute story filled with pop culture references and nerdy happenings then you’re going to want to pick this one up right away.

Thank you to Entangled for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Profile Image for Shannon.
2,548 reviews219 followers
March 22, 2016
Dantheman, who we first meet in The Summer I Became a Nerd as a bit of a nerd himself, is all grown up and now one of the popular kids in high school. How that happened, he's not really sure. But it did, and he is, and it makes for a delightfully, silly, and sweet love story for us to enjoy.

Dan's rise to populardom came at a cost, though, that of his friend Zelda, and she hasn't forgotten or forgiven him. Romancing the Nerd takes us one entertaining adventure after the other, as Zelda plots to get revenge on Dan, as Dan goes up against his father, as the 2 come to terms with how they really feel about each other.

This book was so fun, the characters so quirky, I just wanted to dive into the pages and hang with them all! Dan and Zelda are just cute beyond words. I really enjoyed seeing things from both their points of view, it added a lot to the story than just if we had seen Dan's side of it. Zelda is such zany little character, I'm gad we got to be inside her head. And it was great to see Maddie and Logan again, too...they are still so adorable.

My only grief with this book was the ending...it was just a little too abrupt and sudden for my liking. I was hoping for a bit more time with Zelda and Dan.!

***Copy received through NetGalley, courtesy of Entangled Publishing.

Profile Image for Bette Hansen.
5,069 reviews40 followers
March 26, 2016
This is one of the funniest, most entertaining books I've read in a long time. A wonderful YA story about navigating the high school and all the cliques that involves. Always steadfastly in the nerdy crowd, Dan Garrett has recently made his way into the popular crowd and he doesn't like it! What's more is that his old crew and specifically his dream girl Zelda seems to be mad at him, so what's a guy to do?? Determined to stay true to himself he's determined to find out exactly what Zelda's problem is so he can fix it!

This book is wonderfully written and full of humor and witty banter that had me laughing until I cried. I loved these characters and wish I had known them in school. This is definitely a book I recommend to everyone!
Profile Image for Dunja *a chain reader*.
177 reviews91 followers
August 12, 2016
Nerds, geeks, high school, finding who you are and where you belong are some of my favorite topics in YA novels. So it is not a surprise that I read this one.

Romancing the Nerd, goes beyond typical YA romance novel. In the forefront there is a romance between two former friends, separated by popularity, Dan Garrett and Zelda Potts. Besides that the story deals with questions of prejudices, bullying and parental pressures. The author combines all these things well and she brings and interesting and funny story to the readers.

Full review available at Night Owl Reviews
Profile Image for Detroit.
110 reviews3 followers
April 2, 2021
-The writing definitely improved. I liked how distinctive the voices of the two leads were. Zelda is like a cute pixie (with hidden talons, so beware). I'm glad Dan wasn't like your typical YA dude. Reading from his perspective was refreshing.
-The ending felt anticlimactic.
-Is it just me or this book radiates Entangled Teen Crush imprint vibes? I'm too lazy to verify the publisher of this book at this hour. Honestly though, the Teen Crush novels have a similar tone and voice.
-Anyway, I had my moments of fangirling whenever Maddie, Logan, Vera and Martha showed up. Just like how Maddie fangirled whenever Dan & Zelda were around.
Profile Image for Zemira Warner.
1,569 reviews1,229 followers
April 14, 2016
The Summer I Became a Nerd was a breath of fresh air in the young adult contemporary genre in 2013. It was adorkable and different.

Romancing the Nerd managed to wreck everything up in one, fast sweep. Telling a story about quasi revenge plot and catfishing. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Reasoning behind the revenge were frankly stupid and not good enough.

Profile Image for Kailey (Kathryn is looking for me).
309 reviews46 followers
August 24, 2017
So, I read both of these Nerd books in one day... but what can I say? I love nerdy books.


I did enjoy the first more than this one, but both are very cute and geek-a-licious and really very funny :D
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